


And All This Devotion Was Rushing Over Me

by winryrockbae



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: F/M, I Had So Much Fun Writing It, also a bit of implied caspar/linhardt but not enough for it's own tag, thank you biantrek for commissioning me!!!, this is the black eagles beach episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 19:06:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26383864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winryrockbae/pseuds/winryrockbae
Summary: “And you, Hubert?”“Me?”“Do you believe in me?”“Of course.” He didn’t hesitate or falter with his answer and Edlegard felt her heart tighten up, as if someone had wrapped their hands around it and started to squeeze. It was too uncomfortable to be pleasant, but it didn’t hurt.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Hubert von Vestra, Ferdinand von Aegir/Dorothea Arnault
Comments: 3
Kudos: 33





	And All This Devotion Was Rushing Over Me

**Author's Note:**

> (Never let me go, never let me go  
> Never let me go, never let me go)
> 
> And the arms of the ocean are carrying me  
> And all this devotion was rushing over me  
> And the questions I have for a sinner like me  
> But the arms of the ocean deliver me

There had always been something disconcerting about being near the ocean that Edelgard was unable to put her finger on. The salt water both soothed and worried her, depending on which piece of it she chose to focus on. Relaxing was the sounds of the waves crashing upon the shore, spraying droplets of water into the air like millions of tiny crystals only to be pulled back in. Push and pull, it could be hypnotic and even put some of her worries at ease. To just sit and listen to the sounds, to watch the sun reflect off the vast surface. Alternatively if she thought a bit further, stretching just past where her toes could no longer brush against the wet sand, where it was dark and deep and cold she could feel her chest tighten up with the fear of what might grab her by the ankle and drag her under. 

“The ocean is full of beauty, is it not?” Petra had appeared by her side. The taller of the pair was beaming, pleased beyond belief that Edelgard had managed to wrangle up the former Black Eagles for a trip together in spite of their busy schedules. 

“Ah, yes. Indeed it is very beautiful.” There was a long pause, both of them breathing in the freedom of the salty air. “It doesn’t scare you, Petra?” 

“The ocean? No, it does not. But do not be taking it lightly.”

“That’s true. The ocean does not discriminate. It will drown anyone without hesitation. ” Hubert’s voice should have surprised them, but they were accustomed to his sudden appearances that were seemingly out of nowhere. Despite his reluctance to indulge on a beach vacation, Edelgard hadn’t any worries that he wouldn’t join them. He would always be with her no matter how frivolous he deemed the endeavor. 

“Do not be so — “ Petra paused, struggling to find the right word. 

“Gloomy.” Dorothea offered. 

“Dismal.” Linhardt yawned. 

“Glum.” Ferdinand added. 

“Depressing.” Bernadetta spoke up. 

“Party Pooper!” Caspar shouted. 

Edelgard pressed her knuckles to her lips to contain her laughter as Petra stomped a foot and gestured wildly at all of them. “Yes! They are speaking the words I could not think to say!” 

“Hubert, do try not to be so dark.” Edelgard spoke gently. She could see how every one of his edges was softened for her, the discomfort he felt at them being outside the palace was melting away in the sun. The brightness of the sun reflecting off the water had become too much for her light eyes and with little warning she spun in place, kicking up some sand as she turned to her advisor. Her small hand came up to shade her eyes from the sun, one already closed as she smiled up at him. “We’re at the beach with our friends. The war is over. We have little to be afraid of here.” 

“Except jellyfish. Watch out for them.” Caspar seemed to be speaking from experience, watching the tidepools with a dead gaze. His fingers unconsciously splayed across his thigh, Edelgard could only assume that he was stung in a sensitive area. 

“Are there jellyfish here?” Edelgard’s voice rose an octave, brows furrowed. Another reason for her to avoid venturing into the water. 

“Oi! You know what you have to do if you get stung — “

“Caspar! Stop that!” Ferdinand’s indignation was clear by his voice and in the way his cheeks flushed pink, either from the heat or from the topic of conversation. A safe guess could be a little of both. 

“Stop moving, Ferdie.” Dorothea had Ferdinand’s long hair parted in sections and was concentrating on weaving it up intricately to protect it from the salt water. “Besides, there are no jellyfish here. It’s a cove, the tide rarely brings them in this way.” 

“How can you be certain?” 

“Lin told me. Stop moving your head.”

“Sorry.” 

“Linhardt knows about jellyfish? He told me himself he doesn’t care about anything other than Crests.” There was a bit of surprise in Edelgard’s question, she hadn’t expected that of the scholar. His research focused so much on crests and while he wasn’t nose deep in a genealogy book of some sort he was sleeping. “How?” 

“Ask him yourself, Edie. Maybe he stumbled across the information in his research. Alright, Ferdie. You’re all done. Now it’s my turn.” Dorothea knelt down on her towel, back turned towards Ferdinand as she addressed Edelgard again, this time shrugging nonchalantly. “Besides it’s not that big of a deal if you get stung. All you have to do is — Ouch!! Ferdie! Don’t pull my hair like that!” 

Dorothea turned and fixed Ferdinand with a glare, the two of them bickering back and forth about propriety and necessity. Edelgard watched them, Ferdinand resolving the argument with a chaste kiss to Dorothea’s knuckles.Dorothea rolled her eyes and pressed her lips to the corner of Ferdinand’s mouth, successfully turning the Prime Minister bright red. Something twisted in Edelgard’s belly, something ugly. A dull, throbbing sort of ache that she couldn’t quite describe and a voice like black velvet that told her that she would never have what they have. She didn’t deserve it. She fought for a better Fodlan and she had won, but it had cost both sides so much. She’d started a war. That fact would always remain. It was true that the road to hell was paved with good intentions and she had paved her own way. Drenched in sin her atonement must be that she was destined to be alone as an untouchable figure at the top. One would look at her, sitting on the beach with her friends and ask how she could think that she was alone. Bernadetta had ventured out of her shell to be here, dipping her toes in the water while Petra disappeared under and resurfaced with a laugh several yards away. Caspar was loudly trying to wake a sleeping Linhardt, and Hubert was — where was Hubert? 

There was a moment of panic as she thought that perhaps he had been sucked under the water, but it would take more than that to subdue him. He would rip the waves apart before letting them roll him under. Her head whipped around, brows furrowed deeply only for Hubert to reappear next to her in a striped bathing suit. 

“I figured that if we’re going to be on the beach, I should dress for the occasion.” He sounded almost, embarrassed and Edelgard smiled. Her gaze swept over him in his new attire and she was acutely aware of the muscle no longer hidden by his baggy shirts or flowing robes. 

“It suits you.” 

Hubert chuckled and Edelgard cocked her head at him, 

“Suits.” He explained. 

“Yes, it suits you.” Her brows furrowed deeper and she watched the sand between her toes as she contemplated why Hubert had laughed at her before turning her face up to frown at him. She heard him sigh, ready to explain when everything clicked into place. “Like bathing suit!” 

“Yes, like a bathing suit.” He chuckled again, looking around at their comrades. 

“You and Linhardt almost match. His stripes are green.” Edelgard pointed out. Linhardt and Hubert wore swimsuits of the same cut. Covered from bicep to thigh in thick stripes, a set of buttons down the chest. Caspar and Ferdinand were more exposed, wearing only a pair of shorts. “I think Dorothea picked out Ferdinands.” 

“Did she pick yours?” 

“Hm?” She looked down and realized that her cotton coverup had opened a bit, revealing a red two piece. “Yes, she did. She insisted on it. I was wary of having my scars out in the open but among you all it doesn’t matter to me. Everyone here is scarred.” 

A scan around at their friends showed the truth in her words. At first glance one might not see the scars that littered their frames. They were all so young and yet each of them bore the burdens of the war she’d begun. Dorothea and Linhardtdidn’t bear too many, though there were marks upon their hands and wrists from the magic they’d cast either in aid to their friends or to strike down their enemies. There were even some visible on Bernadetta in her one piece suit, despite her being the archer who had been far from the thick of battle.

“It’s not a bad thing, Your Majesty. It’s just proof of how much they believe in you.” 

“And you, Hubert?” 

“Me?” 

“Do you believe in me?” 

“Of course.” He didn’t hesitate or falter with his answer and Edlegard felt her heart tighten up, as if someone had wrapped their hands around it and started to squeeze. It was too uncomfortable to be pleasant, but it didn’t hurt. 

They sat in comfortable silence under their umbrella after that, watching as Caspar and Petra raced each other in the water. While Caspar had the muscles and the energy to win, Petra was raised on water. She moved like a siren and each time she beat him he got even more riled up. 

“Would you like to swim?” 

Color flooded Edelgard’s cheeks and she was grateful she could blame it on the heat. It was embarrassing to admit that after everything she’d done, she didn’t know how to swim. “I could dip my toes in. I don’t feel like swimming.” 

Hubert didn’t press and stood up first, offering her his hand. Her small hand fit perfectly in his, fingers curling around his longer digits. This was the first time in a long time that their hands touched without gloves. The surprise touching his bare hand almost had her jerking her own away, but she caught herself and allowed a moment of appreciation. It was comfortable, intimate. He let go once she was steady on her feet, all too quickly for her taste. She would have been content to hold his hand all the way down to the water. And maybe walk along the beach—

Wait. These thoughts were new, perhaps spawned out of loneliness after watching Ferdinand carry Dorothea through the water on his back when she brushed her foot against some seaweed. But it wasn’t as if Edelgard was blind. She’d noticed before how handsome Hubert was. His striking eyes, dark hair, shapely jaw. And the muscles that she could now see under his swimsuit. Idly she found herself wondering what he would look like something styled like Caspar or Ferdinand’s, only to be jolted out of her thoughts when the ocean water lapped against her feet. 

“Your Majesty?” Hubert had stopped a few steps ahead of her, the water at his calves as he turned to look at her with concern. Usually she strode so fearlessly into any situation, she was sure that he was perceptive enough to hear the sharp intake of her breath when the water jostled her from her lecherous thoughts. “Is everything alright?” 

“I stepped on a shell.” A quick lie as she followed after him, fingers curled into her coverup to hike it up away from the waves. Not too far away from them Petra and Dorothea were trying to push each other off of Caspar and Ferdinand’s shoulders, the group of them laughing and stumbling in the water. Edelgard wouldn’t mind sitting atop Hubert’s shoulders. He was so tall she wouldn’t have to worry about the water and he would always keep her safe. 

“Edie! Hubie! Join us!” 

“No thank you.” 

A rush of gratitude flowed through Edelgard as Hubuert didn’t hesitate to answer for both of them.Dorothea was pushy sometimes, especially with Edelgard. Sometimes it was valued as it had gotten her out of her comfort zone more than once in their academy days. But this time, she didn’t want the argument. Hubert didn’t mind being the bad guy for her sake and she found herself appreciating him again. If questioned, he’d most likely say it was a matter of propriety. The Emperor couldn’t be shoved into the water by her subjects no matter their ranking in the Empire. But she knew that the whiteness of her knuckles as she held onto her coverup hadn’t gone unseen by her retainer. 

There was a splash as Petra shoved Dorothea off Ferdinand’s shoulder into the water, thus claiming victory. “We could play a different game. I am knowing many different beach games.” 

“Games?” Edelgard didn’t realize that there were such things as beach games, though it only made sense that people would develop special games for a place like the beach. Her interest was piqued and it was hard to resist leaning in towards Petra. The other girl’s excitement was catching as Petra strode up through the waves back towards the shore. Caspar followed behind her loudly splashing through the waves while calling for Linhardtto join them, which was about as successful as calling a distempered feline to your side. 

“Oh yes! There are many.” Petra waited until everyone was gathered around her before she started listing off the games that they could play in the sand. Horseshoes (Ferdinand gasped), disc tossing, building of small castles and volleyball. 

“Oh! That one!” Dorothea bounced in place, fingers pressed against her cheeks in excitement. “Hubie, can’t you teleport to the palace and get us a net?” 

Edelgard watched the muscle in Hubert’s jaw twitch at Dorothea’s nickname, though he’d long since grown tired of telling her not to use it. Truthfully, Edelgard liked it. The nicknames that Dorothea had bestowed upon them all in affection made her feel like they were back in school, reminding her of simpler times. The Empress had no issue with volleyball, in fact, anything that kept her out of the water and kept the others from questioning the distance she kept between herself and the ocean was something she would gladly participate in. 

“I think that volleyball would be fun.” She stated in agreement, looking up at Hubert as if reconfirming Dorothea’s request. 

“As you wish, Your Highness.” Hubert bent at the waist, bowing slightly before he disappeared and the rest of them were left to watch as Petra drew a court with a piece of driftwood, all while shouting technical rules that none of them were bound to actually follow. 

“How many on a team, Petra?” 

“Three. And we will be needing someone to be a uh —,” she trailed off, unable to think of the correct word. Hubert reappeared then and handed the net over to Dorothea and Ferdinand. “A referee!” 

“I will be the referee.” Hubert reappeared then and handed the net over to Dorothea and Ferdinand, immediately speaking up. Edelgard nearly laughed aloud, of course he wouldn’t want to play. 

“That would be unacceptable.” Surprisingly enough, Ferdinand was the one to speak up and all eyes went to him. 

“Excuse me?” Hubert frowned. 

“There is no way that you would be an impartial judge with Lady Edelgard playing.” 

“That’s very true.” Dorothea agreed, shrugging. “We need someone who tells it like it is. Like they don’t care” 

Everyone turned their gaze to Linhardt then, who closed his book with a heavy sigh. “It seems like I won’t be able to talk my way out of this one. Petra, explain the rules to me again while they set the net up.” 

“How shall we choose our teams?” 

“It will be Ferdie, Caspar and I against Edie, Hubie and Petra.” Dorothea answered Edelgard’s question before anyone else had a chance to speak up. The teams seemed fair enough and everyone took a few minutes to finalize their understanding of the rules or enjoy a small snack before the game began. Caspar was hardly able to contain himself as he bounded between everyone like an overly energetic dog. Petra procured the ball from her bag, which was noticeably larger than everyone else’s. 

“I was wanting to be prepared for any beach game.” She explained with a shrug as everyone shuffled into their places. 

Linhardt began the game with a sharp whistle, the small metal device bounced once against his chest as he let it drop from between his lips to lazily toss the ball in the air between the two teams. Caspar and Petra kicked up flurries of sand as they immediately dove for the ball, Petra’s longer legs gave her the advantage and she slammed her fist down on the leather hide of the ball and sent it barreling towards the sand at Ferdinand’s feet. Surprisingly enough, Dorothea was the one to dive for it and knock it from the bottom with her fists, sending it high enough that Ferdinand was able to smack it over the net. Edelgard blinked, realizing that it was coming for her. Her heart raced, feet dug into the sand to ground herself as she clasped her hands together to aim for the bottom of the ball, just as Dorothea had. 

Edelgard braced herself and she felt her interlocked fists connect with the ball, a noise of delight escaped her lips as her muscles flexed. All those years of swinging an axe had given her the perfect physique for this game and she was ready to win. There was satisfaction in how her friends on the other team braced themselves as they knew the power she’d have behind her serve. Then the ball rebelliously flew behind her, she’d never hit a ball before and after a moment of thought it only made sense that she’d have to aim instead of just wildly swinging her arms around with reckless abandon. Eyes went wide and her lips parted in horror as the ball veered away from the net and the apples of her cheeks started to burn with embarrassment. 

At least it was only her friends that would witness her failure and not her subjects. Even still, Edelgard felt a tightness in her belly as she thought about her first time hitting a volleyball being a spectacular failure. The sound of sand being kicked up behind her had her spinning in place, her shock turning to glee as Hubert raised his arm and with a resounding smack sent her wayward ball barreling towards Ferdinand. It all happened so fast that Ferdinand was unable to react in time to send the ball back their way, it hit the sand and bounced a few times before Caspar ran off to retrieve it. Linhardt blew the whistle, but his words were too soft to hear as Petra grabbed Edelgard in the crook of one arm and Hubert in the other and pulled them in for a huddle. Being shoulder to shoulder with Petra didn’t bother her, but Edelgard was hyper aware of Hubert’s forearm pressing against hers. She shifted a bit, urging herself to listen to Petra’s plan to win. The Bridgid Princess was more competitive than Edelgard anticipated she would be and it was, truthfully, catching. Edelgard wanted to win. 

“We are going to be defeating them!” Petra assured them, straightening up as she swung her shoulders around to loosen them up. “Right?” 

“Right!” Edelgard agreed with her hands balled into fists. For some reason she then looked at Hubert for confirmation, waiting for him to also agree with Petra. His features were oddly soft and if she didn’t know better she would have thought that he was looking down at her affectionately. “Right?” 

“Right.” He agreed and the breathless timbre of his voice sent a shiver down her spine. It made sense that he would be slightly out of breath even after a short while playing, mages weren’t known for running across battlefields. The game started again with a gentle serve from Dorothea, Petra darted forward and hit the ball over the net to Caspar, who hit it to Edelgard and this time she was able to aim and send it back over to Ferdinand. Between the heat and the rapid pace of the game, all six of them were breathless and sweaty within minutes. But it was liberating fun unlike anything she’d experienced in so long, perhaps the last time was when she was a child with her siblings. All those years ago they’d played games around their home, laughing and smiling without worry. She felt the same now as she did with her siblings back then. When she accidentally hit the ball into the net instead of feeling embarrassed about her lack of skill in this new game, Edelgard was able to laugh freely with the others. The same laugh as when Caspar dove into Ferdinand’s legs and sent the both of the men tumbling to the ground next to Dorothea, who merely stepped out of their way. 

Edelgard noticed that Hubert’s breathing seemed to be somewhat labored, his normally pale cheeks were flushed pink, dark hair stuck to his forehead. Edelgard opened her mouth to ask him if he felt as though he could keep playing, only to be interrupted by the ball flying over the net and connecting with Hubert’s face. 

Her dark mage dropped like a sack of stones, blood dripping from his nose onto the sand. Everyone paused for a moment before springing into action with screeches of various pitches and volumes. Ferdinand and Caspar each lifted Hubert under his arms and carried him to the shade while Caspar apologized profusely for his poorly aimed serve. Vaguely, Edelgard heard Bernadetta shriek from her spot under an umbrella nearby, but everything seemed to be moving like syrup. It wasn’t anything serious, she was certain, but she felt like her head was swimming and her world seemed to be moving in slow motion. It would feel this way until Hubert opened his eyes and assured her that nothing was wrong. 

Dorothea was giving Linhardt an order, the green-haired scholar meandered over to where Edelgard was kneeling next to an unconscious Hubert and it took everything that she had in her not to snap at him to hurry up. The reason being that she knew that it wouldn’t have any effect other than putting her panic on display for everyone else, as for the most part, Linhard didn’t give a damn about what she told him to do. Petra appeared first and placed a small blue towel that she’d dipped in the ocean over Hubert’s forehead. 

“This will cool him. He is having heatstroke. It is not to be taken seriously so do not worry.”

“His nose isn’t even broken.” Linhardt stifled a yawn and within a moment his fingertips were laced with white magic that twined it’s way around Hubert’s unconscious form. “He’ll be fine.” 

“I know he will.” Not for the first or last time, Linhardt’s apathy grated on Edelgard’s nerves. 

Hubert awoke with a start and bent sharply at the waist to jolt into a sitting position, light eyes wild and lanky frame postured as though he were planning to go on the defensive. Immediately he calmed and dropped his hands, fingers curling into the sand. 

“Did we get a penalty, Lady Edelgard?” 

“A penalty? No. We stopped playing as soon as you got hit, Hubert.” She wanted to reach out and touch him and confirm to herself that he was still there in front of her. She settled for kneeling near him. Although they had come out on the winning side, the spoils of war were not so easily forgotten. Her hands shook slightly before she clasped them together and hid them between her knees, for her reaction was surely exaggerated. The only other time she had seen Hubert fall like that he had been hit with an enemy mage’s spell and Edelgard had felt her heart stutter in tandem with his. If he were to die, to leave her, she would have nobody that truly understood her. Her other friends could say they knew her, take her at face value. She’d shared some nearly carefree times with Dorothea and Petra in their monastery days, almost like a regular teenager. But even back then Edelgard had been plotting her eventual takeover. She had only ever told Hubert and he had followed her without question. The perfect retainer. He was always by her side. Something like a good husband. The thought had Edelgard’s cheeks burning up to the tips of her ears, her gaze fixated on the sand between Hubert and herself. 

“I am sorry if I worried you, Lady Edelgard.” Hubert’s voice was soft, low enough that Linhardt and Petra could not hear him over the waves rolling gently on the shore. 

“I wasn’t worried.” Edelgard’s response was immediate, defensive and most of all, untrue. “I mean, it wasn’t as serious as before.” 

Immediately he understood, he always did. His features softened slightly and his attention was turned towards the sea as if to give her a moment of privacy to collect herself. But this time, she had wanted him to look at her. To know that even when he hit the ground for something as trivial as a volleyball game, she went to pieces. 

“Hubert,” her voice stuttered and caught in her throat as he looked at her, calm and quiet. Patiently waiting for whatever it was she had to say. So devoted. Her light eyes turned towards the sea, the sun slowly being tugged behind the horizon. Down towards the other end of the beach their friends had started setting out blankets and pulling on tunics as the sun dipped away, readying themselves for the light show. “I’m glad that you are okay.” 

“What sort of man would I be if I were to leave you before your goal was accomplished?” He wasn’t even trying to follow under the guise of a volleyball game anymore, instead he directly addressed her true fear in the soothing manner that only he could. 

“Would you leave now?” The question escaped before she could think it through, words as quiet as a church mouse. 

The look that Hubert gave her nearly cracked her heart in two. Of course, she should have known that he wouldn’t. But surely at some point the strings of fate that cut deeply into them would pull them apart. He might desire a wife, a retirement, a life that didn’t revolve around her. And she was the Empress. Sometime in the near future, she would have to consider furthering her line. Deep down she knew that his life was hers, but she wanted to give him something in return. To make it all worth it. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. I know you better than that. I was just… I’m just worried that this life isn’t enough for you. That you might not be fulfilled, simply being the right hand. Never doing anything for yourself—”

“Edelgard, stop.” His voice was firm as he used her first name. And only her first name. She was grateful that the sun had disappeared and the darkness that it left behind hid her crimson blush. “I am right where I want to be.” 

“Is this enough for you?” 

With a soft, almost disapproving sigh, Hubert reached out and laced his fingers with hers and gave a gentle squeeze. For the second time that day she was struck by the warmth of his skin and how smooth his hands were in between the thin scars borne by the use of dark magic. All at once she felt overwhelmed, both relieved that he was simply there with her and irrationally frustrated that he wouldn’t voice an answer. It would calm the turmoil in her chest if he could just say that she would be enough, her worrying that she was stealing his life would cease for the moment. 

Maybe this time it was about enjoying the moment. She had spent her entire life looking into the future, worrying and plotting, manipulating and planning. But very rarely did she ever stop to appreciate what was happening in the moment. It was always onto the next plan, always looking to get one step ahead even if it wasn’t necessary. Just as her worrying in the moment wouldn’t do anything other than make this an unpleasant memory when it had truly been one of the best days of her life thus far. 

“Thank you for helping set everything up today. And for participating, though I know volleyball isn’t something that you would normally be interested in.” 

“I had fun, I hope that you did as well. Lady Edelgard.” 

Naturally he was back to using her title. She wished he wouldn’t. “I did.”

A chorus of squeals and “oooh’s” rose from their group of friends as the Southern Lights flickered into their view over the darkened sea. Their colors that varied from green to purple were twisting and dancing around the sky in something that could only be described as the work of the Goddess herself. Edelgard’s chest felt tight, but not painfully so. The tightness was as though her heart was trying to break free of her body and expand. As if her petite frame could no longer contain it. She hadn’t felt something like this in a long time, perhaps this was the first time that she felt it this strongly. 

“You’re smiling.” 

It was true. She hadn’t even realized that she’d been beaming up at the lights so fervently that her cheeks were starting to feel sore. Her fingers still entwined with Hubert’s and she nestled her hand deeper into his palm. 

“I feel happy.” 

“I’m glad.” 

Their relationship had always been restrained and formal, but with a soft, contented sigh Edelgard scooted a bit closer and rested her head on his shoulder. Tomorrow it would be back to brushing gloved fingers as documents were passed back and forth, feeling him walking behind her at a respectful distance. But right now, she would be selfish for a bit longer. Create a memory that would lighten her heart for years and years to come. If he would only humor her for one night. 

“Lady Edelgard—” 

“Would you call me by my name?” She tilted her chin up to look at him, fingers of her free hand itched with the desire to trace his features. 

“Edelgard.” A delighted shiver ran down her spine, grip on his hand tightened as she pressed herself more cozily into his side. Pleased, she turned back to the lights. She had been selfish enough for the night. “Look at me.” 

His fingers pressed lightly against her jaw before his lips brushed against the apple of her cheek. It took everything she had not to huff at him, if they were going to do this, they would do it right. Her memories of this day had to be perfect. She would never get another like it. Before he had the chance to pull away, Edelgard pressed her lips against his in a burst of confidence. Soft and sweet and over before he could push her away. 

“Hubert! I’m sor—” 

He cut her off with another kiss, lingering long enough that her eyes fluttered closed and her free hand twisted around the fabric at the neck of his bathing suit. 

“You will always be enough for me.” 

Their peaceful moment was then broken by Caspar loudly shouting about something, even in the dark and only illuminated by the Southern Lights they could vaguely see him waving his hands around. There was no pause as his outburst was followed by laughter from the others. The Empress and her Retainer leapt apart like frightened rabbits, pink coloring their faces and lips upturned into pleased smiles. Together they stood and reluctantly unlaced their fingers to join the others. Edelgard already missed the feeling of her hand held so perfectly in Hubert’s. 

“Thank you, Hubert. For everything.” 

**Author's Note:**

> A big giant thank you to @biantrek (on twitter) for commissioning me to write this amazing piece! I had a ton of fun writing it, I'm a sucker for beach episodes. 
> 
> Find my commission info on my twitter @winryrockbae !!


End file.
